Cap for drinking container

ABSTRACT

A container cap is adapted for use with a drinking container. The container cap has a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid in the drinking container, a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion and removably coupled to the open mouth of the drinking container, a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion, a cap removably coupled to the second connector, and a commercial message provided on the container portion

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of beverages, and morespecifically, to beverages contained in bottles with removal caps. Thepresent invention provides a container cap that can be retrofittedlyplaced upon the bottle after removing its original cap, in a manner thatdispenses materials into the bottle. Commercial or other written indiciaare carried on the external surfaces of the container cap.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The beverage world today is largely possessed by bottled water containedin plastic bottles having virtually identical removable caps. Such capsare removed by twistable action, leaving a band or collar behind as thecap is removed, while simultaneously providing access for drinking tothe top of the bottle. Beverages also comprise pre-mixed drinks with aplurality of different designs, requiring, among other things,refrigeration, dates of expiration and other indicators related to theshelf-life of the beverage.

Also well known in the art are water-soluble drink mixes that are soldin solid form. The consumer measures quantities of the dry material,adds the quantities in the proper ratio to water, and creates a flavoredbeverage. In these embodiments, the consumer is required to modulate thequantities, and mistakes result in under- or over-flavored mixtures.

In addition, it is important to maintain freshness of fluid-basedproducts. This is particularly important when the material to bedispensed is vitamin-based, since it is known that water-misciblevitamins can lose their potency over time when in a fluid environment,through changes in temperature, pressure, and light. In addition,fluid-based products can interact with plastic bottles, causing anunpleasant taste and compromising the health of the user. Glass bottlesare thereby required for some applications, which are more expensive andmuch heavier.

To address these concerns, efforts have been made to provide a universalcap design that contains dry or concentrated materials (e.g., vitamins,drink mixes and other flavors), such that the cap can be used with anynumber of fluid containers without the need for modifying the existing,standard, plastic bottle design. In other words, once the pre-existingcap for the bottle is removed, the new cap, containing the materials,can be retrofittedly installed on the top of the bottle, dispensing thematerials into the fluid. The bottle can be shaken and the completedbeverage created moments before consumption.

Many of these cap designs are embodied in the form of a simple containerthat holds the material to be dispensed. The contents of the containercap are often not identified, and the user often has no way of knowingif the materials contained in the particular container cap are intendedfor his/her consumption, or for someone else's consumption.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a universal,single-use cap containing materials for attachment to pre-existing fluidcontainers to permit dispensation of materials thereby maintaining thefreshness of the beverage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universalsingle-use cap that provides a commercial message or indicia on, orassociated with, the cap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides acontainer cap that is adapted for use with a drinking container, thecontainer cap having a container portion having an interior that holds amaterial for mixing with the liquid in the drinking container, a firstconnector fluidly communicating with the interior of the containerportion and removably coupled to the open mouth of the drinkingcontainer, a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior ofthe container portion, a cap removably coupled to the second connector,and a commercial message provided on the container portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap accordingto one embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventionalwater bottle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view showing a container capaccording to another embodiment of the present invention in use with aconventional water bottle.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the container cap of FIG. 3A shown inuse with a conventional water bottle.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap accordingto yet another embodiment of the present invention in use with aconventional water bottle.

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view showing a container capaccording to yet a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B illustrates the paper support of the container cap of FIG. 5A.

FIGS. 6-12 illustrate other embodiments of container caps according tothe present invention.

FIG. 13A is an exploded perspective view showing a container capaccording to another embodiment of the present invention in use with aconventional water bottle.

FIG. 13B is a perspective view of the container cap of FIG. 13A shown inuse with a conventional water bottle.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a container capaccording to yet a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a container capaccording to another embodiment of the present invention in use with aconventional glass beer bottle.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are exploded perspective views showing a container capaccording to another embodiment of the present invention in use with aconventional beer can.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate other embodiments of container caps accordingto the present invention that can be used with a conventional beer can.

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate other embodiments of container caps accordingto the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratinggeneral principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a container cap 20 according to one embodiment ofthe present invention. The container cap 20 can be a plastic containerhaving a container portion 22 that holds a material. The material can bea vitamin, supplement, medication, flavoring, fruit or otherconcentrate, tea, coffee, energy ingredient, powdered milk, or alcohol,and can be provided in liquid, powder, dissolvable tablet or capsule,real fruit (e.g., slice of lemon, or berry) or any similar form thatallows for the material to be quickly and conveniently emptied from thecontainer portion 22 to be mixed or dissolved. The container cap 20further includes a bottom connector 24 and a top connector 26. Thebottom connector 24 is provided in the form of a female connector, inthis case with inner threads 28 that are adapted to threadably engagethe outer threads 30 on the neck 32 of a conventional water bottle 34.The top connector 26 is provided in the form of a male connector, inthis case with outer threads 36 that are adapted to threadably engagethe inner threads 38 of a cap 40. The cap 40 can be embodied in the formof a conventional water bottle cap. A peel-off seal 42 can be providedat the mouth of the bottom connector 24 to prevent the material insidethe container portion 22 from escaping.

It is also possible to provide a conventional filter or water purifiyingelement inside the container portion 22. The filter can function tofilter the water from the water bottle 34, and the purifying element canfunction to purify the water from the water bottle 34. This allows thewater bottle 34 to be re-used with different sources of water, evenwater (e.g., tap water) that may need to be purified and/or filteredbefore being drinkable. A container cap 20 that contains such a filterand/or purifying element can even be useful for soldiers who often needto refill their drinking containers with non-filtered and non-purifiedwater. A soldier can then carry such a container cap 20 for use inpurifying and filtering any water that the soldier might find in abattle environment.

In use, the user can remove the conventional cap of a water bottle 34that contains clear water or other beverage, then remove the seal 42,and empty the material 44 (see FIG. 3) from the container portion 22through the open mouth of the neck 32 into the bottle 34 to allow thematerial 44 to mix with the liquid inside the bottle 34. The user canthen screw the bottom connector 24 onto the neck 32, unscrew (open) thecap 40, and then drink the liquid contents of the bottle 34 through theopen mouth of the top connector 26. The liquid contents would flow fromthe bottle 34, through the container portion 22, and then out via thetop connector 26.

The present invention provides a commercial message 50 on the outersurfaces of the container portion 22. The commercial message 50 can be arepresentation or description of the material contained in the containercap 20, or it can be an advertisement message for another product orservice or entity. FIGS. 1-3 illustrate three different examples ofcommercial messages 50.

In addition to a commercial message 50, other identification codes 52(e.g., bar codes, SKUs), or even the name 54 of the user can also beprovided on the outer surfaces of the container portion 22. For example,a blank space 56 can be provided on part of the commercial message 50where a user can write or otherwise inscribe his/her name, or write orinscribe an identification of the material 44 contained therein (e.g.,“vitamins”, “fish oil”, “diabetes medication”). In this regard, thecontainer cap 20 can be a re-useable container cap 20 which the user canuse to hold vitamins, medication, flavoring, etc. In addition, themessage 50 can be provided on a removable sheet 86 (see FIG. 8) so thatthe sheet 86 can be replaced by other sheets, such as when a differentname or identification (e.g., medication) is to be attached to thecontainer cap 20.

The commercial message 50 does not need to be placed directly on theouter surface of the container portion 22. For example, in FIGS. 3A and3B, a cardboard or paper support 60 can be used to display the message50. The support 60 can be comprised of four sides 62, 64, 66, 68 and atop side 70, with an opening 72 provided in the top side 70. The topconnector 26 of the container cap 20 can be inserted through the opening72, with the top side 70 seated on the container portion 22 to besupported on the container cap 20.

As another example, FIG. 4 shows a cardboard or paper support 74 that iscomprised of two sides 76, 78 that have opposing ends connected to eachother to form a generally elliptical shape, and with an opening (notshown) in a top side (not shown) through which the top connector 26 ofthe container cap 20 can be inserted.

As a further example, FIGS. 5A and 5B show a laminated paper support 80which is laminated or glued directly onto the outer surface of acircular container cap 20. The support 80 has end portions 82 and 84that extend beyond the central portion of the support 80. Messages 50can be provided on these end portions 82, 84, thereby providing morevisibility or exposure for the message 50 because these end portions 82,84 extend beyond the body of the container cap 20.

Although FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the container cap 20 as being madefrom a conventional plastic material, it is also possible to embody thecontainer cap 20 in the form of other structures. For example, FIG. 6illustrates the container portion 22 a of a container cap 20 a embodiedin the form of a pouch, with a bottom connector 24 a and a top connector26 a that are the same as the bottom connector 24 and top connector 26described above. The cap 40 a can be embodied in the form of aconventional water bottle cap, and a peel-off seal 42 a can be providedat the mouth of the bottom connector 24 to prevent the material insidethe container portion 22 a from escaping. The pouch can be made from asoft and flexible material similar to those used for the pouch-likebeverages (e.g., children's drinks) that are available in the markettoday.

FIG. 7 illustrates the container portion 22 c made from a paper-likematerial similar to the material used for milk cartons. The containerportion 22 c can be a six-sided container comprising five sides 110, 112(and two opposing sides and another side, all not shown in FIG. 7), anda sixth side comprised of a plurality of flaps 114, 116 that can befolded to create the sixth side. The bottom connector 24 c, the topconnector 26 c, the cap 40 c, and the seal 42 c can be the same as thebottom connector 24, top connector 26, cap 40 and seal 42, respectively,described above.

The configuration of the container cap 20 can be varied as well. Forexample, FIG. 8 shows a container cap 20 b where the container portion22 b is configured as a stepped circular container having two steps 92and 94 that transition from one circular section to another circularsection. The bottom connector 24 b can be the same as the bottomconnector 24 described above, but a pivoting drinking lid 96 can beprovided at the top instead of a combined top connector 26 and cap 40.The pivoting drinking lid 96 can be pivotably coupled to an edge of thetop surface 100 of the container portion 22 b, with a raised drinkinghole 98 provided in the top surface 100. A stem 102 protruding from thecenter of the bottom surface of the drinking lid 96 is adapted to beinserted into the hole 98. As described above, the message 50 can beprovided on a removable layer of material or sheet 86 that can beattached to the surface of the container portion 22 b by glue, heatshrink, stickers, or similar mechanisms.

Referring to FIG. 9, the container cap 20 d can be configured like afigure having arms, with the message 50 d extending from the plane orsurface of the container portion 22 d. The message 50 d can be molded aspart of the container portion 22 d, and extended outwardly to accentuateor highlight the contents of the message 50 d. The bottom connector 24d, the top connector 26 d and the cap 40 d can be the same as the bottomconnector 24, top connector 26 and cap 40, respectively, describedabove. As shown in FIG. 9, additional messages 50 can be provided on thesurface of the container portion 22 d.

By providing the container cap 20 in different configurations, it isalso possible to provide the container cap 20 in the form of a toy oramusement item. For example, FIG. 10 shows the container cap 20 e havingits container portion 22 e configured as a toy truck which would itselfbe a commercial message, or would have a commercial message 50 e carriedthereon. The bottom connector 24 e, the top connector 26 e and the cap40 e can be the same as the bottom connector 24, top connector 26 andcap 40, respectively, described above.

Extending this concept further, FIG. 11 shows the container cap 20 fhaving its container portion 22 f configured as the body of a robot,with a commercial message 50 f carried thereon. A plurality ofdetachable moving ligatures 130 can be pivotably coupled to the body(i.e., the container portion 22 f) of the robot. The bottom connector 24f and the top connector 26 f can be the same as the bottom connector 24and top connector 26, respectively, described above.

The toy or amusement item can be separate from the container cap 20 andbe removable therefrom. For example, FIG. 12 shows a container cap 20 gwhich can be the same as the container cap 20 described above, and aseparate toy 120 that can be removably and threadably coupled to screws122 provided on the outer surface of the container portion 22 g. The toy120 can be a miniature skateboard with a threaded opening 124 at thecenter of its board. Commercial messages 50 g can be provided on theskateboard, and/or on the outer surface of the container portion 22 g.

The separate sheet 86 from FIG. 8 can be extended to cover more than thecontainer cap 20, including portions of the water bottle 34. Forexample, FIGS. 13A and 13B show a sheet 86 h that contains a commercialmessage 50 h, with the sheet 86 h being long enough to extend past thecontainer cap 20 b. The user can peel off the sheet 86 h from a backing(not shown) and apply the sheet 86 h to the container cap 20 b and theshoulder portion of the water bottle 34 after the container cap 20 b hasbeen secured to the neck 32 of the water bottle 34. As shown in FIG.13B, the container cap 20 b would not be visible and the user can drinkfrom the water bottle 34 via the container cap 20 b.

Electronic features can even be incorporated into the container cap 20.FIG. 14 shows the container cap 20 of FIG. 1 being modified to includean external panel 140 that carries a speaker 142, an on/off switch 144,and a lighted message 150. Circuitry 146 can be provided on the housingof the container portion 22, and a power slot 148 can be provided on thehousing of the container portion 22 to receive a battery 152 that iscoupled to the circuitry 146 to power the speaker 142 and the lightedmessage 150. The user can turn on the speaker 142 and the lightedmessage 150 by turning on the switch 144. The message can be illuminatedby a flashing or constant light, and the speaker 142 can emit anaccompanying verbal or musical message.

The container cap 20 of the present invention is not limited to use withconventional water bottles. As shown in FIG. 15, the container cap 20 kcan be adapted to be secured to the open mouth 162 of a conventionalglass beer bottle 160. In this embodiment, the bottom connector 24 k canbe modified to allow it to be securely screwed on to the mouth 162. Forexample, the bottom connector 24 k can be cylindrical in nature with anannular band 166 provided along its outer surface. The connector 24 kcan be inserted into the open mouth 162 of the bottle 160 until the band166 abuts the mouth 162, thereby securing the container cap 20 k at themouth 162.

Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the container cap 20 can beadapted to be secured to the top of a conventional aluminum beer can170. In this embodiment, the container portion 22 j can have a bottomwall 176 that has a spout 172 from the bottom wall 176, with the spout172 having a bottom opening 174. A flared annular wall 175 extends fromthe container portion 22 j at the location of the bottom wall 176,having a radius at its bottom edge 173 that is greater than the radiusof the bottom wall 176. The flared annular wall 175 is sized andconfigured to be placed about the flanged annular upper edge 177 of aconventional beer can 170, and can be twisted to secure the flaredannular wall 175 to the upper edge 177. A seal 42 j can seal the bottomof the flared annular wall 175. In use, the user can remove the seal 42j, push the spout 172 through the opening 178 at the top wall 180 of thebeer can 170, and secure the flared annular wall 175 to the upper edge177. A message 50 j can be provided on the outer surface of thecontainer portion 22 j.

It should be noted that the concepts shown in any of the drawings inthis disclosure can be applied to any of the embodiments shown anddescribed herein. For example, FIG. 17 shows the concepts of FIGS. 9,16A and 16B applied to a conventional beer can, and FIG. 18 shows theconcepts of FIGS. 6, 16A and 16B applied to a conventional beer can.

In addition, there are many ways to dissolve, mix or otherwise releasethe material 44 inside the container cap 20 to the liquid in the waterbottle 34, beer can 170, or beer bottle 160. The present inventiondescribes the use of a seal 42 that can be removed to release thematerial 44, but other techniques can be used with the present inventionas well. For example, the material 44 can be retained inside thecontainer portion 22 intermixed with the liquid as the liquid passesfrom the water bottle 34 through the container portion 22. As anotherexample, mechanisms can be provided inside the container cap 20 thatbreak a seal to release the material 44 directly into the water bottle34 when the user screws or otherwise engages the container cap 20 to theneck 32 of the water bottle 34. Examples of these techniques andmechanisms are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,562,782 (Yorita),U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,109 (Schoo et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,497 (Dvoraket al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,187 (Daniels et al.), U.S. Pat. No.7,055,684 (Anderson), U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,369 (Bowes et al.), U.S. Pat.No. 7,172,095 (Marshall), U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,112 (Balazik) and U.S.Pat. No. 6,962,254 (Spector), among others, whose disclosures areincorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein.

FIG. 19 shows additional modifications that can be made to the containercap 20 of FIG. 1. The container cap 20 m in FIG. 19 can be the same asthe container cap 20 in FIG. 1, except that a third connector 25 m isprovided in a side of the container body 22 m. The connectors 24 m and26 m can be the same as the connectors 24 and 26, respectively, and thecap 40 m and flap 42 m can be the same the cap 40 and flap 42,respectively. The provision of the third connector 25 m allows the userwith the option to add an additional material to the material mix insidethe container portion 22 m. Specifically, a separate container portion23 m containing the separate material can be provided, has a connector27 m that can be removably connected to the connector 25 m to allow thematerial from the container portion 23 m to mix with the material in thecontainer portion 22 m.

FIG. 20 illustrates a container cap 20 n that can be same as thecontainer cap 20 m shown in FIG. 19, so the same elements are providedwith the same numeral designations except that an “n” is used in FIG. 20instead of an “m”. In the container cap 20 n, a fourth connector 29 n isprovided in a side wall of the container portion 22 n, and can be usedto introduce yet another different material (as described below inconnection with FIG. 19 for the connector 25 m), or it can be used toreceive a straw 31 n or other drinking mechanism so that the user canactually secure the cap 40 n to the top connector 26 n, and drinkthrough the fourth connector 29 n.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that many modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claimsare intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the truescope and spirit of the present invention.

1. An assembly, comprising: a drinking container having an open mouth,the drinking container holding a liquid; and a container cap that isseparable from the drinking container, comprising: a container portionhaving an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid; afirst connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the containerportion in a manner which defines an unimpeded fluid path between thecontainer portion and the drinking container when the first connectorconnects the container cap to the drinking container, the firstconnector being removably connecting the container portion to the openmouth of the drinking container; a second connector fluidlycommunicating with the interior of the container portion; a capremovably coupled to the second connector; and a commercial messageprovided on the container portion.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the commercial message is removably affixed to thecontainer portion.
 4. The assembly of claim 1, further including asupport that is wider than, and extends outwardly of, the containerportion, wherein the commercial message is provided on the support, andwherein the support is removably coupled to the container portion. 5.The assembly of claim 1, wherein the container portion is a solidplastic container. 6-13. (canceled)
 14. The assembly of claim 1, whereinthe drinking container is a water bottle.
 15. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the drinking container is a beer bottle. 16-18. (canceled) 19.An assembly, comprising: a drinking container having an open mouth, thedrinking container holding a liquid; and a container cap that isseparable from the drinking container, comprising: a container portionhaving an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid; afirst connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the containerportion and removably connecting the container portion to the open mouthof the drinking container; a second connector fluidly communicating withthe interior of the container portion; a cap removably coupled to thesecond connector; a support that is wider than, and extends outwardlyof, the container portion; and a commercial message that is provided onthe support, and wherein the support is removably coupled to thecontainer portion.